Conscious Learning Festival 2021

A summer of conscious learning in the Deep Adaptation Forum.

As a result of the Action Research project undertaken by Wendy and Dorian, a new initiative has begun in the Forum – the Conscious Learning Festival.

Watch the full playlist of festival recorded calls and webinars, above.

This festival is an invitation to all participants in the Forum, to pay closer attention to what changes may be arising, and what learning may be occurring for us, as a result of participating in Deep Adaptation events, groups and spaces. Let’s get together and share how we are changing, together.

(UPDATE: Oct.2, 2021) This year’s festival is now over! Many thanks to everyone who participated. Please head over to the Resources section to watch some of the call recordings, and other resources that were shared during this time.

As many participants expressed enthusiasm and appreciation for this event, it is quite likely that it will re-occur in 2022! Please watch this space.

1. THE CONSCIOUS LEARNING BLOG

The ‘Deep Adaptation Conscious Learning‘ blog is a place in which any insights or interesting experiences can be shared, anonymously or not, and discussed. Several ‘learning journeys‘ and ‘insights‘ are already being shared here.

Invitation #1: At the end of a Deep Adaptation call or event, before moving on to other things, please take a few minutes to pause, and reflect. What happened for you during this call? What did you discover, or re-discover? Did this call help you ‘connect the dots’ with something else you were aware of already? Do you feel some new insight or awareness emerging in you as a result? If so, please share it with us on the blog, even if it’s just a small detail.

You can use the contact form to share your insight with Wendy and Dorian, who will help you publish it. You can also register your own account and do so yourself if you prefer.

2. SHARING USEFUL RESOURCES

On the occasion of this festival, we would like to invite you to share with us some key personal teachers, texts, videos, tools or other resources which were part of your learning journey – and which could then be compiled into a suggested “Deep Adaptation 101” course, offering guided access to the most popular resources identified in this way to the wider membership of Deep Adaptation.

Invitation #2: In the coming weeks, Wendy and Dorian will be in touch with each person who was previously interviewed for this research project, to ask for a few recommendations on books, courses, websites, and other resources. These resources will be shared within a new section on this blog.

If you would like to make some recommendations of your own, please use the contact form.

3. HOSTING & PARTICIPATING IN WEBINARS

Finally, a series of special webinars, open to the whole DAF community, are currently being organised as part of this festival. Their focus is broad, and touches on the topics of learning, change, and Deep Adaptation. Where relevant, they will highlight the presenters’ “learning journey” into the Deep Adaptation Forum and beyond. Certain conversations will also take place as pre-recorded videos, which we will share on this blog.

Invitation #3: Please join us in these webinars! Follow-up calls will allow participants to reflect on what we might be learning (or unlearning) thanks to them. Call details will be posted in the Professions’ Network Events section and on the DA Facebook group.

Q&As hosted by Wendy and Dorian:

• Etienne & Beverly Wenger-Trayner (pre-recorded): On social learning, and “learning to make a difference.”
• Sarah Bittle (August 9, 5 to 6pm UTC): On starting the Deep Adaptation Facebook group, and working as a nurse in a time of pandemic. Watch the recording here.
• Jane Dwinell (August 20, 6 to 7pm UTC): On practical Deep Adaptation, faith, and resilience. Watch the recording here.
• Chris Tröndle (September 30, 6 to 7pm UTC): We will discuss Chris’s research, which he carried out with several participants from the Deep Adaptation Forum, on the topics of hope, despair, and activism.
• The DAF Diversity & Decolonising Circle (October 5, 1 to 2.30pm UTC): the members of the Diversity & Decolonising Circle will reflect on what they have learned through their work.

Panel discussions hosted by David, Kat, Matthew, Igor and Kimberley:

Several DAF volunteers will be hosting a series of panel discussions, as a way to introduce a new “sphere of ideas” into the DAF infrastructure to join the “sphere of feelings” on which our attention and activities have been focused almost exclusively until now. 

These live discussions will mainly address “the Four Rs,” as the “framework” of Jem’s recent characterization of DA as an “ethos, framework, community, and movement.” Some of these gatherings will also look into “The Four Rs, and More Rs,” to allow a wider exploration of the framework by including other people’s ideas. 

Your own webinar!

Invitation #4: Would you like to share your skills and knowledge with others, or convene a discussion on a topic of interest to you? Go ahead and host your own webinar! Wendy and Dorian are there for some advice on how to make it happen. We will also help you promote your event along with the other ones that are being featured in this festival.

If you would like to host a webinar, please use the contact form to let us know.

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